The Catholic Church's Melbourne Archdiocese has rejected an independent review's recommendation to extend compensation for child sex abuse victims to their families or carers.

It also rejected the review's recommendation to allow victims it has paid compensation to, to seek further legal action.

In August 2014, the church announced retired Federal Court judge Donnell Ryan QC would carry out an independent review of the Melbourne Response — the church's program set up in 1996 by then-archbishop of Melbourne George Pell to deal with sexual abuse claims made against it.

Mr Ryan's report was released in 2015 but it was suppressed by the church for more than a year.